TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 brings founders, chief executives, and venture capitalists to Moscone West in San Francisco for a three-day conference running from October 13 to 15, TechCrunch reported. The event features panels across six industry stages covering artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, social media, biotech, and venture capital, alongside the Startup Battlefield 200 competition.
Rivian and Cerebras Executives Headline Disrupt Stage
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe takes the stage to discuss scaling physical manufacturing and building complex products. Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman addresses infrastructure limits within the current artificial intelligence boom, focusing on whether compute, energy, and capital demands will outpace current trajectories. Science Corporation founder Max Hodak discusses direct brain-computer interfaces, while Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley addresses AI surveillance and public safety.
In a rare joint appearance, all five partners of Benchmark — Jack Altman, Peter Fenton, Chetan Puttagunta, Everett Randle, and Eric Vishria — will speak together on venture capital trends. Ricursive Intelligence co-founders Anna Goldie and Azalia Mirhoseini present AI systems capable of designing their own hardware. Amazon executive Panos Panay presents hardware developments on Thursday, while Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider and COO Rose Wang examine decentralized social media models. Replit CEO Amjad Masad evaluates software development accessibility, and actor-turned-investor Mark Wahlberg joins Keebeck’s Bruce K. Lee to discuss venture investments.
Startup Battlefield Competition Awards One Hundred Thousand Dollars
Early-stage startups compete live across space and physical AI, energy and manufacturing, health tech and life sciences, and enterprise and security sectors. Nabiha Saklayen, co-founder and CEO of 2021 Startup Battlefield winner Cellino, returns to launch a new product. Battlefield alumni Piotr Byrski of Molecule.one, Demetri Maxim of Nephrogen, and Kevin Damoa of Glīd discuss post-competition outcomes. The winning company receives $100,000 in equity-free funding and the Disrupt cup.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 taking place?
The event runs from October 13 to 15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, gathering more than 10,000 attendees, founders, and investors.
What do Startup Battlefield winners receive?
The winning startup takes home $100,000 in equity-free funding alongside the Disrupt cup after pitching to a panel of leading investors.
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